Man wants plea deal review decades after murder conviction

A Maine man sentenced to life in prison for a murder two decades ago wants his case reviewed, saying his lawyer didn't properly communicate the possibility of a plea deal

WATERVILLE, Maine (AP) — A Maine man sentenced to life in prison for a murder two decades ago wants his case reviewed, saying his lawyer didn't properly communicate the possibility of a plea deal.

Robert Wayne Lonardo was convicted of murder in the 1994 death of Marianne Pembrook in Waterville. Prosecutors said he shot her when she came home while Lonardo was trying to rob her house. Lonardo said his gun discharged in a moment of panic.

Lonardo's current attorney, Andrew Campbell, argued Tuesday that a 60-year plea deal was not properly communicated to Lonardo by his former lawyer. The Waterville Morning Sentinel reports (http://bit.ly/2qq9tpS ) that Campbell said Lonardo, now 62, would have accepted the offer because he might have been able to get early release.